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The 2017 Census of Agriculture is coming up! Conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the census, to be mailed at the end of this year, is a complete count of all U.S. farms, ranches, and those who operate them.

The Census of Agriculture provides critical information about agriculture in our country, including numbers of farmers, land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures, and other topics. This data is then critical for helping to shape policies, services, and assistance programs that benefit family farmers.

Producers who are new to farming or did not receive a Census of Agriculture in 2012 still have time to sign up to receive the 2017 Census of Agriculture report form by visiting www.agcensus.usda.gov and clicking on the ‘Make Sure You Are Counted’ button through June. NASS defines a farm as any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year (2017).

This guide is designed to help you understand production contracts – and to help identify the questions you should consider as you decide whether contracting is right for you. At the end of this guide you will find a list of other sources of information about contracting, including the USDA website, which may help you decide whether contracting makes sense for you and your business.

The guide is available in hard copy and digital formats, and helps farmers assess and compare different welfare certification programs. In addition to comparisons of different certification programs, the guide presents case studies of other farmers who have integrated welfare certification into their businesses. And, most importantly, the guide shares unique funding opportunities that support farmers in transitioning to welfare certification.

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Save the date for the 13th Annual Good Food Festival & Conference! The Good Food Festival & Conference is a celebration of the Midwest’s growing local food economy. The event will connect farmers, food producers, investors, trade buyers, policy makers, activists, families and Good Food lovers over three dynamic days.

Who?This conference will bring together service providers, policymakers and advocates working on land access, farm succession, conservation, beginning farmers, tenure arrangements, and farm landowners.

What?This national conference will explore the issues surrounding land access, tenure and transfer. Topics include:

Are you a livestock or poultry farmer who wants to improve animal welfare on your operation? You may be eligible to receive a Fund-a-Farmer grant from the Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT), a nonprofit organization that promotes humane production of meat, milk and eggs

FACT will award grants of up to $2,500 for two types of projects: Animal Welfare Certification Projects and Pasture Improvement Projects. Check out the grant guidelines for the full details and apply online! Applications are due by November 21, so don’t delay. FACT is also offering a free online information session to help farmers with their applications. Register for the webinar and learn more about this unique funding opportunity.

Greener Fields Together is a local and sustainable produce program which helps farmers make capital investments and infrastructure improvements through Cultivating Change, a local farm grant program. Greener Fields Together donated $60,000 to farmers throughout the country in 2016 so that farmers can focus on farming and, for a fleeting moment, not be burdened by the weight of the food system.

Congratulations to farmers that received grants! Learn more about some of the winning projects here:

Do you ever wish that your farm’s financial information was better organized and easier to use to make business decisions? If so, then the Northeast Beginning Farmer Project’s new online course, BF 204: QuickBooks for Farmers, might be for you!

This course will teach you the basics of using QuickBooks, a popular accounting software, from a farmer’s perspective. All farmers are welcome to participate, beginning and experienced alike. The only prerequisite is a desire to start using QuickBooks for your farm’s recordkeeping.

The course last six weeks, running from October 5 through November 9, 2015. It involves participating in one weekly webinar each Monday night from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Eastern, plus additional readings and homework assignments.

Seed Change, an initiative by the National Farm to School Network, is providing one hundred $5,000 mini grants to programs in Kentucky, Louisiana and Pennsylvania. These grants will help schools and districts start new farm to school activities or ramp up existing programs. Eligible programs include: nonprofit schools, preschools, Head Start programs or school districts in these states. Grants can be used for local food for tastings, new processing equipment, hosting events, building school gardens and more.

The deadline for applications is coming up! Apply by Monday, June 15th at midnight ET. Click here for more information and to apply for a mini grant.

The deadline is approaching for the 2015 Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) administers this program, which funds initiatives aimed at helping beginning farmers and ranchers. Individual are not eligible for this program. Groups like State Cooperative Extension Services, community based organizations, non-profits, and colleges and universities may apply for a grant to support educational courses, technical assistance programming, and outreach initiatives.

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About the Resource Spotlight

This blog shines a spotlight on some of Farm Aid's favorite resources, tools and other timely opportunities for family farmers and farm advocates.

Also be sure to check out the rest of Farm Aid's Farmer Resource Network, to search through our online directory of farm service providers nationwide, read about some of our farmer heroes, or contact Farm Aid staff for direct assistance.